Heidelberg's "Jetfire 50": First Unit in Japan Capable of High-Speed Simultaneous Base and Variable Printing

Printbiz Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Osaka; President: Tamotsu Iwaki), a group company of OSP Holdings that manufactures general commercial printed materials such as flyers and pamphlets and operates an online printing service, is pleased to announce the introduction of the first Heidelberg "Jetfire 50" digital printing press in Japan, with full-scale operations scheduled to begin in April 2026.

Printbiz has developed its business with a focus on environmental considerations, such as adopting waterless printing methods for offset printing to minimize waste liquid. While the company has already introduced electrophotographic digital printing presses, it is now expanding its digital printing capabilities by adding the inkjet-based "Jetfire 50" to further strengthen its environmental initiatives. Conventionally, medium- to large-lot variable printed materials (items printed with partial content changes, such as lottery ticket numbers) required a two-step process: base printing via offset and variable printing via digital, which was both costly and time-consuming. This machine enables high-speed, simultaneous printing of both the base and variable data, improving manufacturing efficiency and allowing the company to contribute to cost reductions and shorter lead times for customers.

[Image: Jetfire 50]

Background of Introduction Printbiz began practical operation of waterless oil-based offset printing in 2013 and succeeded in making its LED-UV offset printing waterless the following year. In 2017, the company switched all of its offset printing machines to waterless operation, continuing its commitment to environmental efforts. Trends in the printing industry are being affected by a decline in demand for commercial printing, leading to an increase in companies closing down or operating as fabless entities without their own manufacturing facilities. Under these circumstances, Printbiz introduced this machine to continue its role as a local printing provider while maintaining its commitment to the environment.

OSP Group's Environmental Initiatives To meet the needs of a society that prioritizes environmental conservation, the OSP Group is strengthening the development and launch of environmentally friendly products from the perspectives of CO2 reduction and the SDGs. This applies to manufacturing as well, where the group is actively introducing additional digital printing presses, using water-based inks, and adopting printing methods that reduce organic solvents. As a member of the OSP Group, Printbiz will continue to pursue these efforts.

Jetfire 50 Specifications [Table: Printing unit (Water-based inkjet 1,200 x 1,200 dpi, inline sheet pre-treatment, drying and cooling, automatic inline registration/calibration, sheet feeder for 4,500 sheets (80g/m²), high-capacity stacker for 6,000 sheets (80g/m²)); Paper size (203x208mm to 356x508mm); Max print area (337x504mm); Print speed (up to 9,120 pages/hour in SRA3); Printed materials (uncoated paper 60-350g/m², matte/coated paper 90-350g/m²); Paper thickness (70-400 μm); Monthly print volume (1,250,000 SRA3 sheets / 625,000 SRA3 sheets double-sided)]

Heidelberg Japan K.K. Overview Since its founding in 1850, the company has promoted global business development as a comprehensive printing-related enterprise and boasts the world's top market share in printing machinery. It currently has a sales and service network spanning approximately 170 countries and regions with about 250 locations. In recent years, as a solution provider supporting everything from prepress to postpress, it has provided total systems based on a customer satisfaction philosophy.

Company Name: Heidelberg Japan K.K. Location: 3-31-8 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (includes showroom) Representative: Jörg Bauer, President and Representative Director Business Description: Import and sale of prepress, printing, bookbinding, cutting machinery, and peripheral equipment, as well as maintenance services. Main Products: Prinect workflow, CtP Suprasetter, Versafire digital printing presses, Speedmaster series offset presses, Stahlfolder, Polar cutting systems, foil stamping machines, die-cutting machines, flexographic presses, printing materials, consulting, etc.

[OSP Holdings Company Overview] Company Name: OSP Holdings Co., Ltd. Location: 6-8 Ajiharacho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture Representative: Tadashi Matsuguchi Established: 1969 Business Description: Management planning and administration of the corporate group and incidental tasks. URL: https://www.osp-holdings.co.jp/

The OSP Group is a comprehensive packaging group operating a total of 16 companies (9 domestic, 7 overseas). To fulfill its mission as social infrastructure primarily focused on food distribution, it maintains 18 production bases nationwide. Osaka Sealing Printing Co., Ltd., one of the group companies, has expanded its business scope since its founding in 1927 to adapt to changing times, customer needs, and the social environment. Today, it provides products and services that enrich society and customers' lives through the planning, design, and manufacturing of seals, labels, film products, paper packaging, and promotional materials. To achieve high quality and stable supply, the group engages in a wide range of activities, including material procurement, development and manufacturing of base paper for seal/label printing and peripheral printing equipment, design of labeling systems, and research and development.

[Printbiz Company Overview] Location: 1-19-4 Uemachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture Representative: Tamotsu Iwaki Established: 2021 Business Description: Manufacturing of general commercial printed materials such as flyers and pamphlets, and online printing services. URL: https://www.printbiz.co.jp